Sophia Forchas, 12, finally returned home after spending 57 days hospitalized for the serious injuries she suffered in the deadly Aug. 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, which claimed the lives of two students.
Sophia received an emotional farewell outside the hospital on October 23.
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In a statement posted to the family’s GoFundMe page, Sophia’s parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, wrote: “Today is one of the most extraordinary days of our lives! Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home!”
Thanking the medical team who worked diligently to save their daughter, the couple also wrote: “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will never forget the world-class care that sustained her. Your commitment helped us get through this.”
Sophia still has a long way to go with outpatient therapy, but her parents said, “Our hearts are filled with indescribable joy as we watch her speech improve every day, her personality shine again, and she can walk, swim, and even dribble a basketball. Every step she takes is a living testimony to God’s infinite grace and the miraculous power of prayer.”
The Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop Bernard Hebda, told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s news partner: “I celebrate with the Annunciation community the homecoming of Sophia Forchas. It was very moving that she was able to join us last night for the daily 9:00 Rosary outside the church.”
“She and her father,” he added, “thank the community for the many prayers they have received during Sophia’s time in the hospital and rehabilitation center. I ask you to join me in continuing to pray for the speedy recovery of all those affected by the Annunciation tragedy, and especially for the families and loved ones of Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel.”
At a press conference on September 5, neurosurgeon Walt Galicich of Hennepin County Medical Center stated that to treat Sophia’s injuries, he would try to “go through the normal brain to get there” and potentially cause more damage. Given the pressure on her brain, Sophia’s survival was extremely low.
The neurosurgeon led a team that performed a decompressive craniotomy, which removed the left half of the skull to relieve brain pressure.
“If you had told me right now that 10 days later we would be here with a glimmer of hope, I would have said, ‘It would take a miracle,'” Galicich tearfully told reporters in September.
Sophia’s mother, who works as a pediatric nurse in the intensive care unit of the hospital where the victims were taken, had no idea that her children’s school had been attacked that fateful day. At first, he was unaware that one of the three patients was his own daughter.
Sophia’s younger brother also witnessed the school shooting. Thank God he was unharmed, although he still suffers from the trauma due to the terrible event and his sister’s serious injuries.
After Sophia’s 57 days of hospitalization, Galicich gave her young patient a big hug as she left the medical center to cheers and applause from her family and classmates. Even the city’s police chief was in attendance, taking her for a ride around town in a limousine to celebrate the occasion.
Speaking to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Police Chief Brian O’Hara called Sophia’s return home “nothing short of a miracle.”
Parents Tom and Amy also stressed the importance of prayer in their daughter’s healing. In their statement they wrote: “Those prayers came from family, friends and countless souls around the world; many of whom had never met Sophia, but encouraged her with unconditional love. Their prayers have been a source of comfort, hope and healing for our entire family. We are confident that God heard each of them.”
The Forchas expressed their condolences to the families who lost their children in the shooting. “We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically lost on that heartbreaking day. May their memory be eternal,” they wrote.
Sophia’s parents also expressed their closeness to those who were injured and asked “that God grant healing, comfort and his peace to all who suffer. To those whose hearts are hardened by despair, may the grace of the Holy Spirit soften them. We pray that the Trinity will fill the world with compassion and love.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in National Catholic Register.
Alyssa Murphy
Alyssa Murphy is the executive editor of digital assets at the National Catholic Register. He began his career on the airwaves in San Francisco and has worked in all facets of media. Alyssa enjoys writing and covering stories that inspire and uplift.